Well drilling machine



April 16, 1946. 1-; H. BERRY WELL DRILLING ncnpna 11m; Se t. 27. 1943 5 Shoots-Sheet 1 Tb as JAB erry ATTORNEYS April 16,1946. 11H. 5m 2,398,512

[ELL DRILLING MACHINE r Filed Sept. 27. 194;: s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7720s Jt'.Bez-ry BY ATTORNEYS April 16, 1946;. T. H. BERRY WELL DRILLING MACHIN E FiledSept. 27, 1943 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR T1505. JC..Berrg ATTORNEYS view, partly in section, showing the machlnein use. 7 1 it Patented Apr. 16, 1946 uN1"rr.= o STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WELL DRILLING MACHINE Thomas H. Berry, Modesto, Calif., assignor to Green and Berry Farm Equipment 00., Mo-

desto, Calif a copartnersh ip comprising Thomas H. Berry and Wesley A. Green Application September 27, 1943, Serial No. 503,996

GCIaims.

This invention relates in generalto improve ments in a well drilling machine, and in particular the invention is directed to, and his an object 'from, a truck supporting endon which the rig is fixed; and meansto lift one end'of the truck andapply'the dead weight of said one end of the truck "on the upper end of the casing whereby said weight, plus the reaction force from lifting the bailer, drives the casing eifectivelyandrelatively rapidly.

A further object is to provide a well drilling machine, as in the preceding paragraph, in which the truck includes a rigid frame having atransversely spaced pair of hydraulic jacks mounted thereon and arranged in operative connection with-opposite ends of a yoke adapted to seat atop a ,well casing; said jacks being simultaneously operative to raise the weight of the adjacent end of the truck off of its wheels whereby said weight is applied through the jacks and yoke to the well casing. 1

Another object is to provide a novel fluid pressure control system for the above hydraulic jacks. Also an object of the invention is to provide a well drilling machine which includes a pivotally mounted mast adapted to fold from a normal upstanding position to" a down position lengthwise of the machine; there being power actuated mechanism arranged to erect said mast from a folded position. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a; simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the improved well drilling machine,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear end Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the extension frame and the casing engaging yoke.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the valve regulated fluid pressure system employed to control the hydraulic jacks. 3

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral l indicates the main frame of a truck, and which frame is supported adjacent its rear end by spring-mounted transversely spaced wheels 2 and adjacent its forward endlby transversely'spaced wheels 3; the truck being of conventional construction and including a drive engine enclosed inahood4.

A walking beam'type well drilling rig is mounted on the truck frame I :and includes, as usual, abed frame 5, and an engine 6 arranged in driving relation to a cable drum! and a crank as sembly 8, which latter reciprocates a walking beam unit 9; the cable l0 being reeved fromdrum I over the walking beam unit and thence extends will fully appear by a perusal of the following at IT below the pivotpoint of the same.

upwardly over a pulley (not shown) journaled on the upper end of a normally upstanding mast ll. I

The rig includes an upstanding frame I2, and the mast H is pivoted adjacent but short of its lower end, as at P, to the rear end portion of' rearwardly about a small pulley 16 on the rear end of the bed frame 5 and passes from said pulley upwardly to connection with the mast The forward end of the piston rod l4 includes a head l8 suitably supported and guided by ways l9. 1

The upstanding frame [2 of the Iigis fitted with a rearwardly projecting extension frame which comprises a number of vertically spaced frame members 20 somewhat U-shaped in plan and open to the rear, as shown in Fig. 3, said members being connected by rear end corner posts 2|.

A pair of heavy-duty, inverted hydraulic jacks 22 ar mounted perpendicular in the extension frame 20 in transversely spaced relation and adjacent the rear end of said extension frame. The piston rods 23 project downwardly from the hydraulic jacks 22 and are detachably connected at their lower ends with the end porthe rod 26 whereby, when the piston rods 23 are detached from said yoke, the latter may be 'iHth casing belng drivh With ifelati've ease.

When an additional section of casing is to be added, the jacks 22 are energized so as to retract the rods 23 and elevate the yoke 24. Then the bailer is raised above the elevated yoke and swung about the guide rod 25 to thei'positior'i" shown in dotted lines in Fig; 3; y Y r The yoke 24 is formed witha eehtiaicpehihg- 28, including a downwardly facinggshoulderffl against which an annular, casing driving head engages; said head being adapted to engage about the upper end of the well casing C, and includes an internal shoulder 3! against which theupper edge of said casing abuts.

The cable lfl includes a depending work reach Illa onto the lower end of which the bailer 32 is secured, such bailer including, at its lowerend as usual, a valve 33 and an annular cutting shoe 34. i The well which is dug by the bailer 32, and into which the casing C is driven, is indicated ner ly a The fluid pressure system for the hydraulic jacks 22 is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4,

and comprises the following:

,1 Eluid pressur is introduced into a supply conduit 35 from a reservoir 36 by means ofa motor driven pump 37; The numeral 38 represents a fluid return conduit. The conduits and 38 are valve, 39 whose outlets" are connected with branched conduits 4!] aud t] respectively; the branches of conduit 40 leadin :to the upper end of jacks 22, whilethe branches o'f conduit 4 I lead to the lower end of. jacks 22; ,It will be'seen that by manipulation of four-way valve 39 fluid pressure'can be fed to the upper or lower ends of the jacks 22, which are double-acting, for the purpose of advancing or retracting, respectively, the piston rods 23. I

A biasing valve 32 is interposed in conduit 40 at the "branch thereof, whereby the proportion of fluid pressure fed to the respective jacks 22 may be manually regulated, and which regulation may be necessary to vary the stroke of piston rods 23 so as to maintain oke 24 horizontal,

Operation In operation of the above described wen drilling machine, the head 39 or yoke 24'isei'1g'aged with the upper end of the well casing C and the jacks 22 are actuated'so to effect a relative 'iirfijctionor advance of theQrbds 23. However, the resistance 6f th well easing C to pehtiatioh into the ground prevents ready. lowering oi the yoke 2i, and consequentlythe tehtifre w nja u machinelis lifted at itsirea'r'end by said jacks 22 about the axis of the front wheels Q unti-lthe weight of Said rnahine springs 43.

With the entire weight of the rear end or the machine resting on the upper end of thecasing C, the bailer32 is reciprocated in theusual manher in said casing through the medium of the l 1 walking beam unit 9, whose operation is controlled from a lever L mounted on one side of the extension frame- 20 adjacent thevalves -39 and 42. With eacnnpward movemenuofithe bailer, the reaction'force oi lifting 'said bailer ahd'breaking its suction from the bottom of the isr'eliev'ed from the truck additional, relatively short section of casing is disposed in place under the yoke for driving downward. y

when the well drilling machine is being set up anism be employed, and which comprises the following:

At the lower end and at opposite corners or the extension frame 2U and at the forward ends of the tru'ckfrain'e' I, there are perpendicular hydraulic -cylinders 44, each of which includes a downwardly projecting rod or ram 45 adapted to engage a block 46 seated therebelow on the ground. Each cylinder 44 is actuated by a fluid pressure control system, indicated generally at 41, and which includes a manual control valve 48.

By proper control of the cylinders and rams E5, the machine can be initially levelled preparatoiy to drilling the welly and can also be maintained lever at any desired stage of the well drilling operation. However, during suc h time as the roasts of'jacks 22"are relatively advanced so as torai'se the machine at its re-arend toapply the weig'htjthreof to the casing C, the pair-of rams 45 at said rear end of' the machine are clear of the corresponding blocks 46.

"From theio'regbing description it ill b readily see'nthat 1 ave produced su'ch a device as substantially 'fulfills the objects of the invention as set iorth herein.

by t appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claiin as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Pathli 1S: 7 I

L AwlI drilling rig comprising a truck carryiri'g "W811 drilling equipmenua supporting frame at one e'ndof the truck, a yoke mounted for vertical movement in saidframe, means mounted on the frame ahdehgaging said yoke for moving the yoke relative to said frame or vice versa,. said means being operable to first move the yoke vertic'ally to position it above a; well casing seated in a well, means 'to then reverse the movement of said yoke to bring it into engagement with the casing and whereby'with the continued operation of such'm'eans' the resistance offered by the Gasiiig then function to cause the frame'an'd adjac'eiit end of the truck to lift and pivot about the end of the truck opposite thefraine s en axis, andto thereby throw theweight ofthe lifted end of the truck aha equipment mounted thereon against the casing, a vertically reciprocating drilling element mounted for movement, through the casing and operable through power means mount- .edon-the'ti'uck whereby when theelement is'lifted a reactive force is'geheratee'agaihstthe frame and yoke, such reactive force, together with the weight of the truck and equipment bearing against the casing thus functioning to drive the easing into the well.

2. A well drilling rig comprising a truck supporting well drilling equipment, a supporting frame at one end of the truck, an inverted hydraulic jack mounted in the frame, a yoke connected to the lower end of the piston rod of the jack whereby the yoke may be raised or lowered relative to the frame with the action of the jack, means to operate the jack to lift the yoke above a casing set in a well, means to then reverse the action of the jack to bring the yoke into contact with the top of the casing, the resistance of the casing then causing the adjacent frame to rise, with the continued operation of the jack, pivoting about the opposite end of the frame as an axis, whereby the weight of the lifted end of the frame and equipment will bear against the casing, a vertically reciprocating drilling element mounted for movement through the casing and operable through power means mounted on the truck whereby, when the element is lifted, a reactive force is generated against the frame and yoke, such reactive force, together with the weight of the truck and equipment, bearing against the casing, functioning to drive the casing into the well.

3. A well drilling machine comprising a frame vertically liftable at one end, said frame carrying well drilling machinery and being adapted to tilt about its other end as an axis when said one end is lifted whereby the weight of the frame and machinery thereon will exert a force tending to force the lifted end downwardly, a drilling element suspended from the frame adjacent said end for reciprocating drilling movement, means to reciprocate said suspended drilling element, said drilling element, upon upward reciprocation thereof, producing a downward reaction force in the frame at said one end, a well casing driving member adapted to be mounted on the casing above ground, the suspended drilling element being positioned to work through the casing, and means connected between the casing driving member and the frame operative to lift the frame at said one end whereby to impart the weight thereof, together with said downward reaction force, to the casing through the medium of the casing driving member; said well casing driving member being a yoke extending beyond opposite sides of the casing, and said frame lifting means being a pair of hydraulic jacks connected with opposite ends of the yoke.

4. A well drilling machine as in claim 3 including an upstanding frame portion adjacent said one end, and means between the upstanding frame portion and yoke to guide the latter upon relative vertical movement between the yoke and said frame portion.

5. A well drilling machine as in claim 3 including an upstanding frame portion adjacent said one end, and means between the upstanding frame portion and yoke to guide the latter upon relative vertical movement between the yoke and said frame portion; said guide means comprising a pair of vertical guide rods slidably projecting through opposite end portions of the yoke; the jacks being detachably connected to said yoke.

6. A well drilling machine as in claim 3 including an upstandin frame portion adjacent said one end, and. means between the upstanding frame portion and yoke to guide the latter upon relative vertical movement between the yoke and said frame portion; said guide means comprising a pair of vertical guide rods slidably projecting through opposite end portions of the yoke, said rods being free at their lower ends and one rod terminating at its lower end in a horizontal plane some distance above the lower end of the other rod, and a stop element on the lower end of said other rod, the jacks being detachably connected to said yoke.

THOMAS H. BERRY. 

